The Jamaicans' Story

The media used in this project are text, audio/videoand images

Theme and Premise

Topic: The evolution of hair has become a leading element in the Jamaican society and the diversity of hair styles are now a famous representation in it self in the world of fashion.

Theme: Hair

Premise: This project will focus on how hair is used and worn in the Jamaican culture through daily life such as events and how it has commercialized.

Text - History of hair: Media

Though hair is inevitable on the body, head hair is the most popular of all. Hair is not just about washing, oiling and combing anymore. Hair is seen as beauty and therefore worn in different styles unique to a culture. Though the hair itself is not unique, the style itself is worn in differently among men and women in different cultures and sub-culture.

“Whether it’s a braided bun or flowing tendril, hair has always mirrored the cultural Zeitgeist.” (M. R. Almasi).

Hair extensions have been around from as far back as the 18^th century worldwide and among many cultures such as the Egyptians, Greeks, Japanese, Chinese and the Eastern world.

In Egypt when it is hot, people would clip their hair to their head, while for certain occasions they would wear wigs as apart of their culture. The women wore long braided wigs with hair pins while the men would wear false beards. Like Egypt,

Greece

too has their tradition where “women’s hair was long and pulled back into a chignon.” (www.ukhairdressers.com).

Though Rome had taken on the tradition of the Greek, their styles were somehow categorized in sub-culture where the upper classes had their own style and flavour. “The upper classes would use curling irons and favoured the gold powdered look of the Greeks. Women often dyed their hair blonde or wore wigs made from hair of captive civilization slaves.” (www.ukhairdressers.com). Hairstyle was apparently a big thing in Rome that causes hairdressing to become popular and slaves became the service providers.

The East must not be left out as they had their style and fashion also. For both sexes the hair must not be seen in the public as the men wore turban and women wore veil. “Both men and women visited the local public baths for grooming where the men’s head and face were shaved and women’s long hair was given a henna rinse.” (www.ukhairdressers.com).

Again culture is rampant as it relates to hair and how it is worn in world and parts of Asia is no different. China has their way of how the hair must be worn among adults and children. An unmarried girl and woman do not sport the same hairstyle, as the girls must wore long braided hair and the women should combed their’s back and bon. The men too have to adhere to the rules as “The Manchu regime of the time dictated that men shaved the front of the head and wore the back hair long and braided, tied with black silk, Geisha women’s hairdo’s were especially elaborate, high and heavily lacquered and often enhanced with hairpieces.” (www.ukhairdressers.com). Also the men in Japan are basically governed by the rules of how hair is worn by the men in China.

Africa is no exception to the tradition of hair as they too have their way of making fashion statement with hair. Though Africans, there are many different tribes of Africa and therefore the hairstyles were many and varied and also signifies status. The following will explain how hair is worn in different tribes.

“Masai warriors tied the front hair into sections of tiny braids whilst the back hair was allowed to grow to waist length.”

“Non-warriors and women, however shaved their heads.”
“Many tribes dyed the hair with red earth and grease.”
“Some even stiffened it with animal dung.”
“The Mangbetu women involved plaiting the hair thinly and arranging over a cone-shaped basket frame, flaring the top then adorning the whole thing with long, bone needles.”
“The Miango took amore simple approach, covering their long ponytails with a headscarf and adorning with leaves.” (www.ukhairdressers.com).

America

too like Africa through sub-culture is seen where people are divided by their hairstyle.

“The Indians from the East Coast would shave their head,”
“The Plains Indians of both sexes wore long braids with features.”
‘South the Incas sported black headbands over relatively, short often bobbed hair.”
“Aztec women plaited their hair entwined with strips of coloured cloth then wound around the head.”
“The Mayan nobility, although having shaved heads, donned high, ornate headdresses” (www.ukhairdressers.com).

Does The Western World care about hair and how it is worn? “In the 15^th century – The Renaissance period – the ladies of the upper classes really took ‘plucking’ to its limit! If you think tweezing the odd eyebrow here and there is painful, imagine yourself plucking the entire front hairline away to give the appearance of a higher forehead.” (www.ukhairdressers.com). I hope that answered your question.

“This was a practice common in Europe whereas the upper class ladies of Italy preferred to cover the hairline with low caps and jewelled turbans.” (www.ukhairdressers.com).

I hope this journey looking at the history of hair shed some light on how important hair is and the impact it has among many cultures and their people.

References

Ancient Civilizations. Retrieved November 20, 2012 from

http://www.ukhairdressers.com/history%20of%20hair.asp

M. R. Almasi. The History of hair. Retrieved December 10, 2012 from

http://www.youbeauty.com/hair/galleries/the-history-of-hair#1

This Video is a brief representation of how hair has commercialized in the streets

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rXNe5CNqNs&feature=youtu.be

Images of different hair stles worn in Jamaica